Wolves fall short in finale

NEW BRITAIN -- In a season full of heartache, Connecticut Wolves forward Erik Barbieri thought about ending his five-year professional career.

JASON YORK

Published 12:00 am, Sunday, September 3, 2000

However, Barbieri has too much pride. He knows deep down that when he's given the chance and a soccer ball is placed on his deadly left foot, anything is possible.

It those moments that help Barbieri work a full-time job at the New Britain Parks and Recreation Department and keep his dreams of playing professional soccer alive simultaneously.

Barbieri scored two goals and assisted on another in the Wolves' 4-3 loss to the Orange County Waves Saturday night at Veterans' Memorial Stadium.

"It's so hard to end it when you have (matches) like that," said Barbieri, who scored both of his goals in the first half and assisted James Manning's goal in the second. "When your family's in the crowd and I just thank God that he's let me come this far."

It was the final A-League match of the season for Connecticut, which finished with a 1-19-8 record, the worst in its history. But, the one-man show that Barbieri put on nearly helped the Wolves avoid the loss.

Trailing 3-0 in the 27th minute, Barbieri capped off a great individual effort with a rocket that beat Waves goalkeeper Peter Van de Ven to the near post and put Connecticut on the board.

"I saw a slight opening on the near post and I took a shot," Barbieri said of the goal. "I figured at that point we just have to start shooting and putting balls on net."

Just three minutes later, Barbieri scored his second unassisted goal to make it 3-2 and put the Wolves right back in the match.

"In the right conditions, Erik Barbieri is a very effective player," Wolves coach Dan Gaspar said. "Tonight, were those right conditions."

After Barbieri's second goal, Connecticut's confidence, which looked shaky, early began to grow. The Wolves just kept attacking and 20 minutes into the second half, they produced the equalizing goal.

Barbieri got the ball along the left side of the penalty area and hit a perfect cross that found the waiting right foot of James Manning, who knocked it past Van de Ven to level the match at 3 in the 65th minute.

"We gave the fans something to cheer about," Manning said. "Barbs put it in the right place, at the right time and all I had to do was put my foot on it."

In the 72nd minute, though, Orange County forward Steve Patterson, courtesy of a Nick Theslof pass, scored the game-winning goal and abruptly ended the comeback.

It didn't look like the Wolves were going to give the 1,159 fans in attendance a single thing to smile about.

Waves forward Gustavo Leal scored the first of his three goals in the just the fifth minute of play. Incredibly, he would score two more goals over the next eight minutes to give Orange County a gaudy 3-0 advantage.

"You know what I told my team, 'The best player in the world can't beat the worst 11 players in the world by himself,'" Gaspar said. "Wouldn't you know it, one player beat 11 players in 13 minutes. Amazing? It was shocking."